Urailu: Floatwagons
The flat plains of Wlitowa and Tuhra are easy to cross on foot and especially easy on wheels. Since the invention of the wheel, merchants tied weroikis to carts and used them to move from strait to strait, carrying anything from pottery to fine crafts. Two-wheeled carts became four-wheeled carts, then six-wheeled carts, and soon trade en masse benefited the entire south of Wouraiya.
The jagged hills and mountaintops of Keyrit offered no such benefit. When the Keyrit-Welokyi first settled there, they cut off ties with many of their former neighbors in crossing the mountains to establish colonies on the eastern side of the continent. Roads crossing the terrain weren't built for centuries, and those that eventually were required stairs for proper traversal. The wagons that were imported from Wlitowa and Tuhra could still travel back and forth but at a third, perhaps a quarter of the normal pace. The Keyrit Empire needed a solution if they wanted to maintain at least a semblance of the economies of the south.
Retu Utwelu was a Keyrityi inventor who saved Keyrit transcontinental trade. He, like his father before him and his father before that, created fabrics, increasingly dainty for an increasingly cultured upper class. The fashionable fabric at the time was light but air tight, and Retu was working on a specific commission when he made the discovery. It was a cold winter day, so Retu huddled over the fireplace. A log fell, and a very specific bout of warm air caught Retu's work and lifted it towards the ceiling. Retu thought for a moment. Perhaps it was the onset of a fever, but he had an idea to create a comically large bag and heat up the inside air.
This became the first hot air balloon. Just like the wheel that was developed centuries before, Keyrit pioneers built larger hot air balloons, then platforms through which the hot air balloons could carry people and cargo, to highly-specific miniature furnaces that could control the temperature inside the balloon. Multiple hot air balloons were attached to a single platform, allowing for truly large constructions. This was a much more convenient method of transport. Even though humans had no problem traversing Keyrit on foot and would continue to do so for a great long while, merchants found that moving large quantities of goods was now worth their while. Sizable barges were constructed for intercontinental travel, and the urailu was born.
The urailu is capable of raising itself high above the mountains, but it would then be susceptible to strong winds. It was established that the best way to manage an urailu was to float it just above ground, using manpower to move and steer it. In Wlitowa and Tuhra, this would have made the urailu completely unfeasible. If the urailu could even fit through the streets, it would inevitably be caught on a building and torn to shreds. In Keyrit, however, architecture was built into the hillside. The underground was the domain of the populace, so the urailu was quick to dominate the surface. The occasional above-ground shop could be easily avoided or bypassed.
This vehicle, invented, manufactured, and used almost exclusively by Keyrit citizens, became a cultural icon of the island nation. Soon the urailu evolved from not only a base transporter of goods but also a barge for royalty and nobility. Even though the inventor of the urailu was a peddler of luxury goods, he couldn't imagine that his creation would be lined with gold. Even so, the king's royal urailu was almost completely constructed of fine luxuries, from the exotic woods that built the frame to the gemstones embedded in the railing to the silk sheets that formed the balloons. It was on that barge that the king would make trips from the capital on the coast to inner cities, such as Vort Yiki.
The jagged hills and mountaintops of Keyrit offered no such benefit. When the Keyrit-Welokyi first settled there, they cut off ties with many of their former neighbors in crossing the mountains to establish colonies on the eastern side of the continent. Roads crossing the terrain weren't built for centuries, and those that eventually were required stairs for proper traversal. The wagons that were imported from Wlitowa and Tuhra could still travel back and forth but at a third, perhaps a quarter of the normal pace. The Keyrit Empire needed a solution if they wanted to maintain at least a semblance of the economies of the south.
Retu Utwelu was a Keyrityi inventor who saved Keyrit transcontinental trade. He, like his father before him and his father before that, created fabrics, increasingly dainty for an increasingly cultured upper class. The fashionable fabric at the time was light but air tight, and Retu was working on a specific commission when he made the discovery. It was a cold winter day, so Retu huddled over the fireplace. A log fell, and a very specific bout of warm air caught Retu's work and lifted it towards the ceiling. Retu thought for a moment. Perhaps it was the onset of a fever, but he had an idea to create a comically large bag and heat up the inside air.
This became the first hot air balloon. Just like the wheel that was developed centuries before, Keyrit pioneers built larger hot air balloons, then platforms through which the hot air balloons could carry people and cargo, to highly-specific miniature furnaces that could control the temperature inside the balloon. Multiple hot air balloons were attached to a single platform, allowing for truly large constructions. This was a much more convenient method of transport. Even though humans had no problem traversing Keyrit on foot and would continue to do so for a great long while, merchants found that moving large quantities of goods was now worth their while. Sizable barges were constructed for intercontinental travel, and the urailu was born.
The urailu is capable of raising itself high above the mountains, but it would then be susceptible to strong winds. It was established that the best way to manage an urailu was to float it just above ground, using manpower to move and steer it. In Wlitowa and Tuhra, this would have made the urailu completely unfeasible. If the urailu could even fit through the streets, it would inevitably be caught on a building and torn to shreds. In Keyrit, however, architecture was built into the hillside. The underground was the domain of the populace, so the urailu was quick to dominate the surface. The occasional above-ground shop could be easily avoided or bypassed.
This vehicle, invented, manufactured, and used almost exclusively by Keyrit citizens, became a cultural icon of the island nation. Soon the urailu evolved from not only a base transporter of goods but also a barge for royalty and nobility. Even though the inventor of the urailu was a peddler of luxury goods, he couldn't imagine that his creation would be lined with gold. Even so, the king's royal urailu was almost completely constructed of fine luxuries, from the exotic woods that built the frame to the gemstones embedded in the railing to the silk sheets that formed the balloons. It was on that barge that the king would make trips from the capital on the coast to inner cities, such as Vort Yiki.
While the urailu was a success, it could not last forever. Improvements of the wheel and wheeled vehicles allowed the structures to move across nearly-impossible terrains while still maintaining impressive speeds. Even with motorized propellant, severe limitations to the design of the urailu meant that it simply couldn't compete. The construction of roads sealed the closure of the age of the urailu. However, the urailu still found work in parades as floats on national holidays, and the royal family still uses the royal urailu from time to time.
Power Generation
The only power in a standard urailu generates heat to swell the balloons and thus lift the vehicle. Oil and peat were both commonly used, and the miniature furnace accommodated for both. The amount of heat controlled was determined through one of two systems, depending on the manufacturer. The first system limited how much fuel was consumed at any given time. Less fuel meant less heat, which could control the temperatures. These were expensive and required very specific processed fuel, so, despite their efficiency, they only remained competitive.
The second system limited the amount of hot wind blown out of the furnace into the balloon. These systems were less complex and so were fairly cheap. Systems that were too cheap, however, could turn into pressurized bombs that explode when neglected. Most systems had built-in exhaust vents, just in case. These vents wasted yet more fuel but were still less expensive than the customized first system furnaces.
Whatever the system used, the user interface remained consistent in the form of a dial. More output would cause the balloon to rise, allowing the urailu to move over the steep slopes of Keyrit.
The second system limited the amount of hot wind blown out of the furnace into the balloon. These systems were less complex and so were fairly cheap. Systems that were too cheap, however, could turn into pressurized bombs that explode when neglected. Most systems had built-in exhaust vents, just in case. These vents wasted yet more fuel but were still less expensive than the customized first system furnaces.
Whatever the system used, the user interface remained consistent in the form of a dial. More output would cause the balloon to rise, allowing the urailu to move over the steep slopes of Keyrit.
Propulsion
When the winds couldn't carry them, urailu operators carried large bags of compressed air. These bags would be released opposite the direction of intended travel, moving the operators in the intended direction. Urailu had enough momentum to ensure that only one or two bags were truly necessary to bring a wagon to its intended target, but it could at least get a skilled enough operator to a safe, non-gorge location.
During the later years of the urailu, motors were attached to the rear, in the hopes that propulsion forward would provide for a faster experience. It did, technically, but with smaller and smaller returns as the motor pushed harder. Eventually motors became so good that they replaced the urailu altogether in the form of an automobile.
During the later years of the urailu, motors were attached to the rear, in the hopes that propulsion forward would provide for a faster experience. It did, technically, but with smaller and smaller returns as the motor pushed harder. Eventually motors became so good that they replaced the urailu altogether in the form of an automobile.
Weapons & Armament
The mountains of Keyrit are usually peaceful, given the strict and regular patrols of the internal military of the Order. Some urailu, though, crossed the Bay of Atiya into Unterritory, where natives and rival factions alike took great interest in their wares but little interest in paying for them. Because of the load capacity of the urailu, large weaponry could not be mounted. However, crossbows and later rifles were shoddily attached to the railings of some in order to fight off small-scale raiding parties. Because ships from the north and south could afford to mount large battlements, however, the heavily-outgunned urailu traders usually just surrendered. This was yet another reason why the urailu was largely exclusive to Keyrit.
Armor and defense
There was little that an urailu could do to prevent a flechette round from piercing its balloon. Once pierced, the urailu had less than a second before the cargo impacted the ground. There was a great moral debate among merchants regarding attaching flotation devices to urailu that crossed the Bay of Atiya. One the one hand, the merchant and cargo would be alive, and the merchant could defend the ship until it floated on water away to safety. On the other hand, letting the cargo sink would ensure that pirates would never acquire their bounty, disincentivizing the profession and making the sea lanes safer for everyone involved. While Wlitowa and the Ugo-yt might very well have sided with the latter and banned flotation devices, the highly individualist Keyrit Order protected the right to a merchant's self-preservation. Trade with Unterritory continued on but through well-armed ships instead of lightly-armed urailu.
Communication Tools & Systems
The common Keyrit citizen could see the balloon of an urailu well before the operator came into view. Because of this, the balloon (or balloons) became the primary identifier(s) for communication. Operators hung out square flags over the front of their balloons that indicated urgency, type of cargo, or perhaps even news. The color codes, as developed over centuries of trade but formalized by the Keyrit Order, were as follows:
Black: I have an urgent delivery to make. Stay out of my way. (This signal was abused surprisingly little, if only because repeat offenders were blacklisted by store owners and ostracized by the merchant community. It was very easy to determine repeat offenders, since operators who flew black flags disrupted commerce so widely, thus drawing a lot of unwanted attention)
Red: The place from which I came is dangerous. Turn around, and/or follow my lead out of here.
Blue: Expect uncomfortably (though tolerably) bad weather around here.
Green: I am an empty barge, and am available to take goods off your hands if need be.
Purple: I am an independent merchant, in full control of my wares. You may purchase from or sell to me as you pass by.
Yellow: I require assistance of some sort. Please help as you are able, at your convenience.
Orange: No, seriously, get over here and help me. It's urgent. (Most professionals can tell, and the Keyrit Order has defined, the difference between yellow and orange flags)
Black: I have an urgent delivery to make. Stay out of my way. (This signal was abused surprisingly little, if only because repeat offenders were blacklisted by store owners and ostracized by the merchant community. It was very easy to determine repeat offenders, since operators who flew black flags disrupted commerce so widely, thus drawing a lot of unwanted attention)
Red: The place from which I came is dangerous. Turn around, and/or follow my lead out of here.
Blue: Expect uncomfortably (though tolerably) bad weather around here.
Green: I am an empty barge, and am available to take goods off your hands if need be.
Purple: I am an independent merchant, in full control of my wares. You may purchase from or sell to me as you pass by.
Yellow: I require assistance of some sort. Please help as you are able, at your convenience.
Orange: No, seriously, get over here and help me. It's urgent. (Most professionals can tell, and the Keyrit Order has defined, the difference between yellow and orange flags)
Hangars & docked vessels
Urailu crossing the Bay of Atia often came with flotation devices that could keep the structure afloat, or small rowboats that could allow the merchant to paddle away to safety with a few of the more particularly precious goods. The rowboat was a rarity, considering how much space it took on board the vehicle, but specialized merchants, such as those carrying luxury goods from Vort Yiki, found it considerably more advantageous, leaving behind some examples to be denoted in the history books.
Owning Organization
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I love these! It's a shame that they went out of use when the roads and transport got better, but I'm glad they still have some ceremonial use. I like the colour code system you have devised, and also the debate around flotation devices.